


The Play

by iamavacado



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Gen, M/M, Multichapter, Set-Up, Theatre, boyf riends — Freeform, will update tags as needed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-17
Updated: 2017-08-22
Packaged: 2018-12-16 13:25:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11829651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamavacado/pseuds/iamavacado
Summary: Christine revealed that she cannot do the spring play this year. Who else better to take her place?





	1. The Set-Up

**Author's Note:**

> Here we are!!! Hope you enjoy.

Disappointment was the word around the school when Christine revealed that she couldn't do the spring play this year. She even called all of her drama club friends together to tell them so they wouldn't be shocked when they found out. There was sadness, some anger, a few tears, but all in all they were okay with it. It wasn't like Christine was just leaving: she had gotten the lead in a different play by the town's community theatre. She was excited, and so everybody else was too. Her profuse apologies were accepted quickly, with wishes of good luck and leg breaking. But that left everyone with one big question.

Who would play the lead in the spring play?

The only other girls who were even remotely interested in theatre were already cast, or had other obligations. Jenna was in charge of the Yearbook Club, and couldn't do it. Chloe already had a part, and Brooke had just gotten a new job which required longer hours, so she couldn't stay after school. And despite everyone's begging, no other girls wanted to take Christine's place. 

"So who's gonna do it?" asked Jeremy. He had the great luck of being cast as the male lead in the play. He was a flannel-shirt-wearing introvert named Ken who let go of his asocial nature in favor of a bouncy girl named Juliet, who would've been played by Christine. But now? The slot was empty.

Mr. Reyes threw his hands up, defeated. "I don't know Jeremy," he said, "if no one steps forward, we may have to cancel the show."

The group burst into angry refusal. Choruses of "no"s and "that can't happen!"s rang out around them. But Mr. Reyes just shook his head. 

"We can't do the show without a Juliet," said Mr. Reyes. "It simply cannot be done. That'd be like doing Romeo and Juliet without Romeo! But, in this case, it's a Juliet."

After a pause, Chloe raised her hand, and everyone looked at her like she was going to say something that would forever change history. Mr. Reyes called on her.

"Yes, Chloe? You have an idea?"

Chloe smiled. "Could the other lead be a boy? If we could get one?"

"We're _desperate_ here," Mr. Reyes replied. "Any person you have."

Chloe looked at Jeremy. She had something of a smug smile on her face. "What about Michael?"

Jeremy looked over at her, confused. "Huh? M--my Michael?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Your Michael. He'd be great, don't you guys think?"

The group nodded, sounding muted agreements.

Jeremy was hesitant. How was he supposed to ask Michael that? To play a role where he not only played a girl, but also a girl that had to fall in love, and _kiss_ Jeremy's character? "I don't know. I don't think he'd want to--"

"Well how are you supposed to know unless you ask him? You said a couple times he'd mentioned liking theatre. Well, here's a perfect opportunity. Ask him for us, Jeremy. Please?"

"Plllleaaaaseee?" repeated the rest of the group.

Even Mr. Reyes was begging. His hands were clasped under his chin. "Please?"

Jeremy sighed. "Fine! Fine."

The group cheered. 

"I can't guarantee he'll say yes!" he warned above the noise.

"Don't worry," Chloe said. She moved a few seats over to him, close enough to put a hand on his shoulder. "You're his best friend. He's gotta listen to you. And plus, the whole show is kind of riding on this. He's our last hope."

After a few more minutes of discussion, about times, potential sets and costumes, the group was dismissed, and as Jeremy walked out, he heard Mr. Reyes talking to a random student.

"The whole show is depending on this. I don't mind having a boy play Juliet, as long as _someone_ does it. I suppose we could call him Julio? Oh, if he says no, everyone will be crushed."

Jeremy tensed, and held his backpack straps tightly as he walked home, where Michael would be waiting for him.

***

Chloe followed close behind him out the door and watched him go. When he rounded the corner and was out of sight, she smiled; she turned around and cupped her hands over her mouth.

"Okay," she said in a loud whisper, "the coast is clear!"

After a pause, the storage closet next to the drama room opened, and Christine and Brooke peeked their heads through. "You sure?" asked Brooke.

Chloe nodded, and they left the closet, Brooke giggling all the while.

"He's on his way right now," said Chloe as she examined her nails. "We should know tomorrow."

Christine looked over Chloe's shoulder as if she expected to spot Jeremy spying on them. "You think he'll do it?" She meant Michael. Would he really agree to it?

"Totally!" piped up Brooke. "He's gotta."

"Mmhm. With that guilt trip I pulled on him, he'll totally do it," Chloe said.

Christine was now looking worried. She even started to bite her nails. "But what if he doesn't? Then I'll have skipped the play for nothing! And the show will be cancelled and it'll totally be my fault! And then it'll ruin my streak of doing every play and for no good _reason!"_

Chloe put her hands on either of Christine's shoulders. Of the three of them, she was most definitely the most worried. Chloe had been reassuring her the whole time. "If he doesn't do it--"

"But he will, right?"

"Of course, but if not--"

"He will!"

"He will, of course he will. But if he didn't--"

"I'll have ruined everything!"

"No you won't Christine!" said Brooke. "If he doesn't, then just take his place."

Chloe nodded at Brooke. "Exactly. You'll say something like, the show at the community theatre got cancelled and you can come back. If he doesn't do it, which he _will,_ then there's nothing gained, nothing lost. Okay?"

Christine took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Okay. Okay. I trust you."

"Dont trust me. Trust Michael. He'll do it."  
Brooke brought her hands up under her chin in awe. "And then they'll _kiss!"_

Chloe grinned. "Yes. And then they'll kiss."

***

"So I really can't say no," Michael said. 

The two were in Jeremy's room, playing video games as they talked back and forth. Jeremy had been hesitant to ask about the play, so he suggested the game instead to stall for time. Although, a few levels in, he knew he couldn't be quiet about it any longer, because the guilt of having a cancelled show on his hands would've sucked. So he brought it up as tentatively as possible, kind of beating around the bush. Michael was smart enough to see right through the wording of the proposal though.

"Nnnoooo.....ooot exactly," replied Jeremy. Though his eyes were on the screen, his mind was on the conversation. He was jumping through digital and metaphorical hoops. "I mean, you can say no--"

"But then they'd cancel the show."

"Yyyyeah."

"So how could I say no?"

A giant dragon appeared onscreen, and their characters pulled out their swords in general pixilated fashion.

"Boss!" they yelled in unison. They'd been trying to get to this level for days. 

"You can say no, if you don't want to," Jeremy said as the boss spewed fireballs at them. He leaned left as he made his character go left. Buttons were being pressed at the speed of light. It was more muscle memory than strategy. "If you--" _jump--_ "don't think it's something--" _duck--_ "you'd like to do--" _dodge--_ "then--" _attack--_ "you don't have to do it!" _Attack!_

Michael was just as focused on the game as Jeremy was. The boss' health bar was at its half point, and they could both tell it was doubling its attacks.

"It's not that I don't," said Michael. His fingers were moving just as fast. When his character went right, so did he. It was almost like a fluid movement between the two of them. When one went left, the other went right, and vice versa. "I would love to--" _jump--_ "because I know I talked--" _dodge--_ "about it before--" _attack--_ "I'm just worried about the whole--" _duck--_ "playing a girl thing!" _Attack!_

This was it. The boss' health was at a critical low, and both of their characters' special powers were all charged up. Without even having to look at each other, they lined up next to each other and pressed the button to activate their special move at the same time. Both their characters charged forward with their swords high, and they brought them down with a vivid flash of blue light. The boss screamed its last breath, and fell to the ground. "LEVEL CLEARED" showed up in black text across the screen.

Jeremy and Michael whooped and screamed, pumping their fists in the air. They both yelled, "YES!" before hugging each other, laughing.

But when Jeremy realized how their cheeks were pressed together, and how tightly they were holding each other, he pulled away and reached to turn the game off after it had saved. 

"Um, about the whole girl thing," he said, "they'd change it so you'd just play a boy."

"Oh really?" said Michael. Jeremy nodded.

"Yeah. So, like it wouldn't be weird." 

Michael sat in silence for a minute, and Jeremy started to get nervous. What if he was thinking about the same things Jeremy was thinking about? It was a pretty romance heavy play between Ken and Juliet; Michael must have known this.

Right as Jeremy was about to just dismiss the conversation altogether, to just ignore that he'd even said anything about in the first place, Michael said, "We do go pretty well together." His voice was surprisingly small.

Jeremy couldn't help the small smile that he gave. He looked at the game controllers by them. The way they were moving to clear the level. The way they had always done things like that wordlessly. He'd never really thought about it before, but he agreed. "Yeah. I guess we do, don't we?"

Michael stood, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. It was nearly time for dinner. "Okay then. I'll do it."

"Really?" asked Jeremy, a little more desperate-sounding than he meant.

"Yeah. I will. I mean, why say no? It's something I've talked about, and being the sole reason a show gets cancelled isn't exactly something I want. So, why the hell not?"

***

Chloe waited anxiously outside the doors of the drama room, waiting for Jeremy and, hopefully, Michael, to show up. Though she was sure it was going to work, she still had that little bit of doubt.

After a few passing minutes, Jeremy showed up around the corner with Michael next to him. They were chatting as they approached. Chloe whispered a little 'yes' under her breath and slipped in the room, pulling out her phone. She opened the group chat with Brooke, Christine, and Jenna.

**He's here! It worked.**

**I knew it would!** replied Christine. Chloe rolled her eyes. Like Christine ever had any doubt in the plan, right? She sat in her seat and waited patiently.

Most of the kids were already in the room, sitting, so when Michael and Jeremy walked in, all heads turned their way. After a small pause, they cheered and clapped rather loudly. Michael actually looked a little scared, which made some of the students laugh.

"Hi?" he asked. "Do I know...any of you?" he scanned the faces for a second before he found Chloe's. "Oh, I know Chloe. Hi."

Chloe waved. "Hi."

Mr. Reyes entered the room, and upon seeing Michael, he beamed. "Oh! Michael, _please_ tell me you're doing the play!"

Michael shared a look with Jeremy. He really couldn't have said no, could he have? "Yes, Mr. Reyes," said Michael, "I'm doing the play."

Mr. Reyes giggled like a schoolgirl and clapped his hands together. "Fantastic!" He turned around and grabbed a script off of his desk, shoving it into Michael's hands. "We'll change the name to Julio. You'll do great, I know it!" He addressed the class. "Okay, everyone! Let's get started!"

Michael and Jeremy took a seat, opening their scripts. The amount of lines that Juliet--now Julio--had were intimidating, to say the least. Though the opening monologue was fairly small, he saw that after, there was a scene with just him and Chloe, who would be playing his mom. A quick flip through the script revealed many more scenes with him, and several more monologues that were much longer than the opening one. He ran a hand through his hair. Maybe he was a bit in over his head.

Jeremy saw his hesitance. He nudged Michael. "You'll be fine dude," he whispered. "Don't focus on how much there is to read, focus on how you read it."

Michael took a deep breath, eyes on his script, and he stood.

"I've never been one for a big city," he said, slightly altering his voice to fit his character. "But something about this one just felt right. The air, the sounds, the people. They were so much more genuine than New York, and friendlier than Chicago. Who knows? Maybe I could publish my book here. Maybe I could find friends. A better family. Someone to date even."

He looked over at Jeremy to see if he was doing a good job. Jeremy gave him a thumbs up, and he continued. 

"But those are just dreams, right? We're taught to follow them. Then taught to dream more realistically. But, if the dreams I have are held within the boundaries of the real world, then are they even dreams?"

Chloe read her line, which was supposed to be heard from offstage. She made herself sound like an old hag.

"Julio! The laundry won't do itself!"

"Fame. Love," Michael continued. "These two things I desire. I hope to find them where I'm going, because they surely don't exist where I am."

With the monologue over, Michael looked around to see in the faces of his peers how he did. He was met with claps.

"I think the show will be saved after all," sad Mr. Reyes.

Michael smiled. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad.  
***


	2. The Lunch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phase Two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter seems a bit short. It's setting up the third chapter, so worry not!

"So what's the plan?" asked Brooke.

Jenna, Christine, Brooke, and Chloe were smushed together in a booth at the local cafe. Usually they conversed on Christine's porch, which was strangely huge and elegant, because her parents were just like that, but it was too hot. The sun shone bright and with a vengeance. So Jenna suggested this quaint little place. They all ordered chocolate milkshakes and started to discuss.

"Well, the plan is, we're gonna tag team," said Chloe. "You--" she pointed at Brooke-- "and Jenna are going to get Jeremy, and Christine and I will get Michael."

"What are we going to even say to them?" asked Christine.

Chloe took a sip of her milkshake. "We're going to ask how they feel about the play, how's it going, and how they feel about each other."

"Doesn't that seem a little blunt?"

"So?"

"Well, it's not like we can be anything but blunt," said Jenna. "It's been two weeks."

"Yeah, and nothing's happened," added Chloe.

That was true. While Michael joining the show and being cast as the lead made the whole mission seem like a success, there was one thing they hadn't truly considered: that neither Michael nor Jeremy seemed very comfortable with the kiss scene.

Hell, Michael hadn't even known that where _was_ a kiss scene until he got to it. 

-

"Well, I don't know about you," said Michael as Julio, "but it's pretty cold out here."

Michael and Jeremy were sitting on a set of boxes as a makeshift bench while they read their lines. The time was supposed to be sunset, so the lights onstage were dimmed. When Michael said his line, he scooted closer to Ken, as per the stage directions.

"It is pretty cold, isn't it?" said Ken, played by Jeremy. He took off his jacket and wrapped it around Jack's shoulders. "Is that better?"

Julio nodded. He smiled. "Yes. That's better."

Then they looked into each other's eyes for at least seven or eight seconds before Jeremy leaned back, face as red as the shirt he was wearing. He stood up and broke character. 

"I'm sorry, this is so weird," he said, eyes glued to the floor. "Well, not weird but, just--I don't know. I don't know if I can actually kiss him."

"Wait, what?" Michael said, genuinely confused. He looked as his own script and red down a few lines. The way his eyes widened like dinner plates told them that he didn't see this coming. "We have to kiss?!"

"You didn't know that?" asked Chloe, who was waiting for her cue offstage. 

"No!" 

And since then, whenever they'd get to the kissing scene, one of them would wuss out. So far, they'd only been hugging each other, with promises that they'd do it later, or on show night. 

"You won't wait until show night," said Mr. Reyes with a wave of his finger. "You will do it soon and if not, I will replace you."

"But there's no one else to do it," whispered another student to him. Mr. Reyes shushed them.

"I know. I'm trying to be threatening."

-

"Tomorrow, we'll ask them to lunch," said Chloe. 

"And then?" asked Christine.

Jenna smiled mischievously. "And then they'll have kissed by the end of the week, and they'll be together by the end of the month."

Christine did a little clap.

***

_Strange,_ was what Michael thought when Christine called him and asked if he, she, and Chloe would want to go out to lunch together after practice. Though they talked more often than not, he figured that they were more acquaintances than actual friends. But he did like both of them after all, so why say no?

After practice (and another failed attempt at kissing Jeremy--Ken), he slung his backpack over his shoulder, tucked his script in his pocket, and met up with Christine and Chloe out in the parking lot. Michael waved bye to Jeremy on the way out, as he had somewhere to go too anyway.

He crammed himself into the back seat of Chloe's car, which was jammed with clothes that would soon be made into costumes for the cast. Chloe's mom was a seamstress. 

"So where are we going?" asked Michael. "7/11 has these killer hot dogs--"

"Oh my god, no," said Chloe as she pulled onto the road. "We're going to a restaurant on the other side of town." Across the town from the cafe Jeremy was being taken to. They had to be as far away as possible from each other, lest they risk running into him.

"Wait--" Michael stopped for a second, head tilted in confusion, then he leaned forward so his head was poking in the front seat between Christine and Chloe-- "I thought you had practice for the play you were in." He was addressing Christine.

She and Chloe shared a look before Chloe shoved Michael's face back into his seat with her hand. "Practice for her was cancelled today. The...teacher ate some of those hot dogs you mentioned and had to go home early. Which is why we're not eating there."

"Wait, really?" 

Christine nodded quickly. "Yep. He was-- uh. In a rush, and he grabbed some on the way to school, and he got sick. Don't eat those anymore. This has been a PSA."

Michael mentally told himself to definitely not eat those again. Those, along with gas station sushi. Never again.

-

The restaurant was more a diner than anything, but it was still bustling with people when the three of them arrived. Christine and Chloe slid into one side of a booth, and Michael in the other. A waitress came by and gave them menus, asking them what they'd like to drink. Chloe and Christine took some sodas while Michael opted for a hot chocolate.

"So, Michael." started Chloe. She wanted to be blunt about it, but how straightforward was too straightforward? She had to come off as casual, so she tried her best conversational tone. "What do you think of the play so far?"

"Uh, well..." he thought of the props, the sets, the talent, the costumes, or lack thereof. "I think it's going pretty good."

"You think everyone's doing a good job?"

Michael nodded as their drinks were delivered. "Yeah I think so." They ordered their food politely, with Michael offering to pay and Chloe insisting that it was her treat.

Christine took a sip of her soda. "What's your favorite part?"

Without even really thinking about it, he opened his mouth to say, "The part where Julio and Ken realize that they're in love with each other."

It was a lovely moment. The lights would suddenly dim, and a soft musical track would play under their words as Julio and Ken slowly stepped towards each other from either side of the stage. They'd meet in the middle, and then they'd take turns stumbling out words, confessions. And then? They would kiss.

Christine and Chloe looked at each other. Christine nudged her under the table, which meant, _do it now._

"That part, huh?" began Chloe. "It's definitely a tender moment. Except that it kind of keeps getting ruined." Chloe took a smug drink of her soda, trying to hide her smiled under the rim of the cup.

Michael ran his finger around the rim of his hot chocolate. Steam rose steadily from the cup. "Yeah. I know. Usually I'm not weird about stuff like that, but there's just something about it--that I just can't...really..."

"Get comfortable with?" finished Christine.

Michael nodded. "Yeah, kinda of. Like, I should be comfortable with it, right? It's just acting. And, Jeremy's...you know. There's history there. You'd think it'd be easier than kissing some random student."

Christine cleared her throat and clasped her hands together on the table. "Maybe, that's _exactly_ the reason why it's so hard to kiss him."

"Huh?"

"I don't know, maybe it's hard _because_ of the history there. You two have known each other for like, ten years--"

"Twelve."

"Exactly! You've known each other for forever, and I know you love each other."

"And maybe you...you know...like him too," said Chloe.

Michael was mid-drink of his hot chocolate, and when he heard that, he nearly choked. "What? No. That's not-- no. That's not why." 

"No?" Chloe asked. "You don't like him, not even a little?"

"No!"

The answer was no. Of course not. They were friends. Best friends. Jeremy was nothing more than a person he wanted to spend the rest of his life being close to. Nothing more than someone who he'd be miserable without. That's it! Nothing else. What part of that sounded like he liked Jeremy? He loved him, sure. Of course he loved him. Probably more than anyone else outside of his family. But liking him? Not a chance.

-

_"You know that you are my favorite person, but that doesn't mean I can't still dream."_

_"Is it really true, I'm your favorite person?"_

_"Yeah, we're never not gonna be a team."_

-

Maybe there was a small chance.

Michael let his head fall into his hands. "Aw, fuck."

"Is that a good 'aw fuck' or a bad 'aw fuck?'" Chloe asked.

"Honestly? I don't know."

Their food arrived, and Michael buried himself in his chicken strips until it was time to leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment! Criticism or praise! Id love to hear from you.


	3. The Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael is no longer confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This MIGHT be the last chapter, so i tried to make it as awesome as i could

The girls hadn't been able to talk about their respective lunch dates until the next day during free period. The four of them met up near Chloe's locker and started to spill what they'd learned.

"So how'd it go with Jeremy?" asked Chloe.

"Well, he clearly, definitely, totally has a thing for Michael," said Brooke. 

"Yeah," continued Jenna, "because he got all red and blushing and smiley, and then straight up told us that he likes him."

"Really?" Christine said. 

"Well, not straight up. He was kind of vague about it, but anyone with eyes could see that he was head over heels. It was actually pretty cute." Jenna sighed. "I wish I could've gotten it on video." Brooke nodded in agreement.

Christine and Chloe looked at each other, frowns clear on their faces.

"What's wrong?" Brooke asked. "What happened with Michael?"

"Well," began Christine, "we don't really know."

"Yeah, he wasn't really clear about it," Chloe said.

"But--" Brooke furrowed her brows-- "but if he wasn't clear about it...then, that means that he might _not_ like Jeremy! What are we gonna do? We cant force them to like each other if they don't!"

Brooke was right: if they truly didn't like each other (or if one didn't like the other), then what was there to do? Of course, they still had to kiss because of the play, but if there was nothing but acting behind it, then their whole plan was going to be thrown on its head. They needed to _kiss,_ and somehow, Chloe felt that if they didn't end up kissing _today,_ then everything was going to be ruined.

Chloe looked to her left and saw Jeremy rounding the corner. He had his books held to his chest, and he was looking at the ground as he walked. Usually Michael was with him during free period; yet, this time, he was alone. While Chloe probably took this as Michael--the confused mess he seemed to be yesterday continuing into today--pushing Jeremy away so he could presumably have time to think, she was glad that Jeremy was alone. Because she didn't have to worry about pulling Jeremy away from Michael when she yanked his wrist towards her.

"Um, what are you--?!"

"Listen to me," Chloe demanded. Jenna, Brooke, and Christine watched on, wide-eyed.

"W-what do you want?! Why are you grabbing me?!" asked Jeremy.

"Because!" She looked down at her hand, then back up at Jeremy. She released him, realizing that perhaps she'd been a tad too forward. She straightened her clothes. "Okay, Jeremy, listen. You are going to kiss Michael today." The look on Jeremy's face made her realize how weird that sounded. She pushed forward and tried to justify what she'd just said before she gave herself away. "The show is in two months, and if you don't do it now, you never ever will. You'll keep putting it off until the show comes and then you won't be able to do it. Trust me, I know." She didn't know, but she threw that in there just to strengthen her argument.

Jeremy shrunk into himself. "Okay, I- I will."

"If you don't," said Chloe, "I _will_ destroy you."

Jeremy swallowed, nodded, and walked off, moving a little faster than he had been moving before.

_"Chloe,"_ said Jenna. 

"That wasn't part of the plan!" Brooke exclaimed.

"He looked so scared!" Christine said.

"Good," Chloe said as she grabbed her books out of her locker, looking on as Jeremy made it down the hallway, "I didn't think this would devolve into threats, but hopefully it works."  
***

_Hey Mr. Reyes. So, listen. I know that I said I would do the play, but, here's the thing: I don't think I can anymore. It's not you, or anyone in the crew or cast-- well, scratch that, it is someone in the cast. But it's not that they're bad actors or anything, or I'm being bullied or something, it's just-- it's a little complicated. Or maybe I'm just making it complicated. It's just weird, is all. The whole kissing thing is throwing me off, and, well, I don't think I can do this. I can help you find someone else, and I'm sorry. It's not like I have anything against kissing a boy, but rather, it's the fact that this one specific boy is-- well. I might be crushing on him and I don't want to make things weird. Between us. So-- I'll just leave, okay?_ Michael stood with his hand poised to knock on Mr. Reyes' door, rehearsing what he would say.

_It's just that, well, I don't even know if I like Jeremy or not. I think I do, but I don't know. What would that mean? This whole thing is so confusing._

"No, don't say that," he whispered to himself. He stuck his hands in his pockets and walked away. "That's stupid."

Just go through today, he told himself. Go through today and see what would happen. And if it didn't work, then just, quit. Just don't show up. Jeremy would understand, right? Or would he? When Jeremy bounced up to him before free period started, he looked happy as ever. Maybe even a bit too happy. There was no way _he_ was having this confusion, surely.

Jeremy always knew what he wanted. Whether he'd ask for it or get it was a different story, but he knew what he wanted. When he wanted to date Christine, he wasn't coy about it: basically everyone in the school knew. When he wanted a squip, he got the money and bought one. When he wanted things, he wasn't confused. _Do I really want this? Should I want this?_ Those were never questions he had to ask. 

Michael, however, wasn't so sure of what he wanted anymore.

***

"Alright everyone? Are we ready?" asked Mr. Reyes. He looked around the room and saw nods from all the students, signalling that they were ready. Finding the answer he was looking for, he looked back at Jeremy and Michael, pointed at them and said, "Okay, and...Begin scene!"

Both Michael and Jeremy assumed their characters, Julio and Ken, at once. "Well," Julio said, "I don't know about you, but it's pretty cold out here." He scooted just a little closer to Ken, and when their legs touched, it sent a jolt of nervous electricity up Julio's spine.

"It is pretty cold, isn't it?" Ken asked. Julio nodded. He removed his jacket and wrapped it around Julio's shoulders. "Is that better?"

Julio grabbed the ends of the jacket and pulled the jacket tighter. He smiled."Yes. That's better."

There was a pause. Julio looked at the ground, smiling. But as the seconds ticked by, his smile slowly faded into a frown. He stood, taking the jacket off himself and giving it back to Ken.

"I'm sorry Ken. I can't do this anymore," said Julio. 

Ken stood, confused. "Wait-- what? What are you talking about?"

Julio fought tears. "I can't keep-- I mean we shouldn't-- I can't--" he struggled to find the words-- "I just can't do this." He started to walk away, and he was almost at center stage when Ken grabbed his wrist. As Julio yanked his hand back, a soft, tragic melody began to play under their words.

"Julio, what is wrong? Tell me," demanded Ken. Usually he was so small, so quiet. But now, he was determined. 

When Julio didn't answer, Ken stepped forward and put a hand on his cheek. Julio jerked back a step.

"Stop," he said. "Just...stop."

"Stop what?"

Julio turned away.

"Stop _what?"_ Ken repeated. 

Julio spun around, tears streaming clearly down his face. "Stop making me so confused as to whether or not I'm in _love with you!"_

At that moment, Julio stopped. And suddenly, he wasn't Julio anymore. He was Michael. He was Michael saying these things. He was Michael crying. He was Michael staring at Jeremy with thoughts that didn't seem to connect the way he wanted them to. And he was Michael, here, wanting desperately to find an answer to a question he had never considered before someone else brought it up.

And Jeremy caught it. His head tilted to the side for just an instant, as if he were confused. _Is this you or Julio?_ his eyes seemed to ask.

Michael continued anyway, every word hitting him in the gut and making him more heated up as he went. "Everyday I spend with you, I'm happy. But what kind of happy, Ken? A kind of happy that just means I love you as a friend? Or a kind of happy that means I love you as something else? I don't know, and it's killing me. I can't do this anymore." The music picked up, building upon itself by adding more instruments and heightening in volume. Julio started to walk away again.

"Julio, wait!" Ken exclaimed. He caught up with Julio, who was now near stage right.

"What!?"

"You don't know if you're in love with me?" Ken asked. "Let me help you find out."

"What are you talking about?"

Jeremy hesitated for just a second, glancing to his side to see Mr. Reyes, everyone, staring on in anticipation. He looked at Michael.

Then Ken leaned forward, held Julio's face in his hands like it was the edge of a cliff, and kissed him just as the music crescendoed.

Except it wasn't Julio. Michael wrapped his arms around Jeremy's waist, and he thought he could hear cheering from the other students, but he didn't care. Because Michael was kissing Jeremy. He was kissing Jeremy and he was liking it--no, loving it. It was long and sweet and everything he didn't know he wanted. One of Ken's hands moved behind and held the back of Michael's neck, and the other rested on his shoulder.

Michael was the first to pull away, feeling strangely light headed and electric. 

And Jeremy was looking at him. Not Ken. Jeremy. He looked sort of dazed. Maybe he was out of character during the kiss too. 

The way a little breath escaped his mouth told Michael that, yes, he was. That wasn't a stage kiss.

"M..mic--Julio?" he asked. He had to shake his head a little to bring himself back in character.

Michael ran offstage. According to the stage directions, he was supposed to, but he didn't stop at the edge of the stage. He ran out of the auditorium and into the hallway of the empty school. Thank god practice took place after school so no one would hear him yelling to himself, or see him walking and jumping around.

"Michael?" called Jeremy?

"Julio!" Mr. Reyes corrected from the audience. 

"Michael!" Jeremy ran offstage to find him, regardless of the fact that he and Chloe were supposed to have an argument scene at that moment. 

Chloe walked on the stage, looking on in confusion for a moment, before breaking into a knowing grin.

Mr. Reyes, however, was not in the know. He walked up onto the stage. "What in the world--?"

Chloe stopped him. "Why don't we take a break? It'll give you time to make a hot pocket."

Mr. Reyes opened his mouth to protest, but closed it, won over once again by the cheesy, pizza-y goodness that is the Hot Pocket. "All right everyone," he said, "break time. Let's take five and then regroup."

***

"Michael!" 

It didn't take long to find him there, in the hallway, smiling so big it looked like his mouth was going to jump off his face.

When he saw Jeremy, he stopped immediately, but just barely. His entire body was buzzing with excitement. "Jeremy," he said, rushing up to meet him in the middle. He grabbed Jeremy's hands and held them tight. He was talking fast, trying to get all the words out before he imploded. "Listen, I didn't know if I had a crush on you, I only thought I had one, but now I _know_ I have one. Because I don't know if you were acting but I wasn't and that was amazing and once this adrenaline fades I'll probably be really embarrassed because you're my best friend and I don't want to make it weird, because I don't care if I'm a loser as long as I'm a loser with _you_ and I'm sorry if I'm making things weird, and I love you, like, _love_ you, and how do you feel?"

He sucked in a huge breath and waited for Jeremy's answer. But Jeremy didn't answer.

He just burst out laughing.

"Michael," Jeremy said, "first off. Nothing you do would make things weird. You could kill someone and I'd help you hide the body. And second, I wasn't acting either."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Yes!" Michael threw his arms around Jeremy. With all this confusion gone, all the muddled thoughts finally off his shoulders, he felt so much lighter. Happier. 

After a second, he pulled back. "Wait," Michael said, "does this mean--?"

"Yes, I love you too." He paused. "I kind of have for a while, actually."

"Aw really?" 

Jeremy nodded, a little red tinting his cheeks. He looked at the ground.

Michael brought his chin back up with one finger. "Do you wanna kiss again?"

"Oh yes _please."_

***

**Guys. It happened. It's happening. They're totally in love.**

Chloe peeked her head around the corner one more time. Jeremy was against the wall, and Michael was pushing on him, and they were kissing, and it was obvious that they were fighting the urge to just de-clothe each other right then in there; so Chloe decided to give them a bit of privacy. 

Her phone buzzed three times in a row.

Christine: **YAY!**

Jenna: **OMG! I knew it would happen.**

Brooke: **Yes yes yes! Mission Success!**

Chloe smiled at the replies. Yes indeed.

Mission Success.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this was good!!! Also i hope i didnt have michael too ooc. Usually he wouldnt be so anxious about it, but its JEREMY. So, thats how it goes, ha. Leave a comment!

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a comment!!!!! Give your honest thoughts. I'd love to hear from you.


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